Dennis Colbert smashes a line drive up the middle in Summer Play as on-deck hitter Dan Malachuk awaits his turn at bat. (Photo by Larry Wolfe)
Larry Wolfe
At last count, there were 121 baseball/softball statistics categories; 72 are considered “standard,” while 49 are considered “advanced.” Additionally, Major League Baseball has created 32 measurements, called “Statcast” numbers. These measure things such as launch angle, exit velocity, catcher framing, and outfielder arm strength. However, our Sun Lakes Softball stats are much simpler. We currently track 13 standard, or basic, stats, 10 of which we’ve been tracking for years and have all the older records. Here’s a rundown of who led the league in each of these 10 basic stats and how this year’s leaders compare to past leaders in each category. Leaders in the Lakes Division are shown first, with the Sun Division leaders listed second.
At Bats: Rick Thompson (317) and Randy Neumann (314). The all-time record is Tom Erpelding’s 2017-18 total of 394.
Times on Base: Doug Warwick (206) and Randy Neumann (221). The all-time high mark is 269, again set by Erpelding during the 2017-18 seasons.
Walks: Tim Loeffler (36) and Randy Neumann (32), both well below Neumann’s record of 45, set in 2020-21.
Singles: Rick Thompson (130) and Jon Hendrikse (139), both way below Erpelding’s record 177, set in 2017-18.
Doubles: Frank Rouse (45) and Jon Hendrikse (40). Larry Kaufmann holds the all-time record with 50, set during the 2015-16 seasons.
Triples: Dan Malachuk (16) and Ron Carmichael (9). Malachuk’s 16 three-baggers were second all-time to Bill Stanick’s 20 triples in 2016-17.
Home Runs: Jay Yoakum (5) and George Siegele (39). Bobby Farmer hit a record 56 long balls in 2020-21.
Sacrifice Flies: Dennis LePore (9) and Randy Neumann (11). Kim Whitney set the record of 18 Sacrifice Flies in 2020-21.
Batting Average: Doug Warwick (.817) and Dennis Henderson (.772). The all-time top average was set in 2016-17 by Reyes Gonzales who hit a robust .873.
Slugging Percentage, a stat measuring both average and power hitting: Doug Warwick (1.018) and Marty Hobby (1.270). Reyes Gonzales also holds this record, slugging 1.634 in 2018-19.
There you have it: a summary of our “simple stats.” Thanks to our Chief Statistician, Jim Entwistle, and to Cyndy Hilby, Vern Rodgers, and our other scorekeepers.
Our Summer League continues through Sept. 21. League games are played on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, with the first pitch at 7:30 a.m. Go to our website, www.sunlakessoftball.com, for up-to-date news and information.